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Global Pet Adoption by North Shore Animal League

Ndira von Keller — Mon, 01 May 2023 15:14:41 +0000

Global Pet Adoption by North Shore Animal League

From May 6 to 13, North Shore Animal League America (NSALA) will hold its 29th annual Global Pet Adoptathon at its site in Port Washington. The month-long initiative, in collaboration with Rachael Ray Nutrish, is dedicated to helping animals locally, nationally, and internationally find loving homes. In order to preserve the lives of homeless animals, more than 2,000 animal shelters and rescue organizations will also take part in the Global Pet Adoptathon throughout the month of May.

Finding caring, responsible homes for animals who have been rescued locally, nationally, and internationally is the main goal of this annual, month-long program. It also honors the committed global community that promotes and supports animal adoption and rescue.

The most variety and animals will be available for adoption at NSALA’s adoption facility thanks to the 2023 Global Pet Adoptathon. Numerous dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens of various breeds, ages, and sizes will be present.

The New York Mets mascot Mr. Met will make a special appearance on opening weekend, starting on Saturday, May 6, when NSALA will stage exciting events to kick off the occasion. May 6 and 7 will see an extension of hours.

Additionally, there will be interactive photo booths, outdoor activities like Jenga and corn hole, arts and crafts, food, and drinks. Additionally, there will be a dog park meet and greet for households welcoming new pets.

How does it work?

Animal League America promotes animal adoption as the most effective method of obtaining a pet by working with regional municipal animal care and control organizations, local and foster-based rescue organizations, and shelters of all sizes and locations.

Major cities (New Orleans, Houston, and Los Angeles) as well as smaller towns (Anderson, SC; Fayetteville, NC; and Prineville, OR) are home to the participating shelter partners. Each organization will commemorate the Global Pet Adoptathon with unique events, adoption incentives, and regional advertising.

Animal League America works together with each to get the support of the local media in spreading the word that adopting animals is the better alternative. Finding responsible, loving homes for thousands of abandoned animals is the shared objective of everyone working together.

For more information about Global Pet Adoptathon and to find a participating shelter, visit Animal League directly.

Source: PR Newswire

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None of the tuna retailers in the United States passed the sustainability and human rights tests.

Ndira von Keller — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 14:43:14 +0000

None of the tuna retailers in the United States passed the sustainability and human rights tests.

Tuna production is at an all-time high. Part of this increase can be attributed to it being viewed as an environmentally friendly alternative to other animal proteins for people looking to reduce their meat consumption.

However, according to a new report by the environmental NGO Greenpeace,” High cost for cheap tuna“, despite significant progress, U.S. grocery chains still have a long way to go in addressing serious environmental and human rights concerns in their tuna sourcing.

In accordance with the report, the United States is the world’s second-largest tuna importer, and its retailers utilize significant clout in the $42 billion global tuna sector. Since 2008, Greenpeace has ranked US seafood retailers based on sustainability criteria. This is the second report of its kind to include human rights considerations.

The report’s authors created a scorecard for the 16 largest U.S. grocery retailers based on their tuna sourcing practices. To accomplish this, they distributed a survey, which 11 of the retailers completed

and returned, and relied on publicly available data for the remaining five. They assigned percentage academic results to retailers based on 39 questions grouped into six categories: purchasing policy, record keeping, advocacy and initiatives, human rights and labor protections, current sourcing, and customer education and labeling.

Retailers with high ratings are still rated too low.

The report praised ALDI for its “comprehensive, publicly available seafood and human rights policies” and explicit advocacy “for a living wage for workers in its supply chain.” The limited scope of its grievance mechanisms and the fact that its corporate responsibility supplier evaluation program is still in development lowered its score.

Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket, and Winn-Dixie, received the lowest human rights rating.

Transshipment is the practice of offloading a fishing vessel’s catch onto other boats that deliver it to shore. It is frequently associated with illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and because it allows fishing vessels to stay at sea for extended periods of time, it also increases the risk of human and labor rights violations in supply chains.

Amazon-owned Whole Foods Market, the largest U.S. chain specializing in “natural” and organic foods, received the highest score of 75% for sustainability. ALDI came in second with 70%, bringing its total overall score to 62%, the first and only passing grade since the addition of human rights factors to the rankings last year. The authors lauded Whole Foods’ stringent traceability and sourcing standards, including its pledge to sell only pole-and-line and hand-line-caught canned tuna. These methods reduce bycatch and overfishing more than other methods, and they benefit human rights because vessels are smaller and tend to work along the coast rather than in the open ocean, resulting in shorter periods at sea and more localized employment.

Costco was ranked second-to-last in terms of sustainability, with a score of 32%. Critics focused on its “vague” sourcing and seafood sustainability policies, as well as its lack of a transshipment policy.

Should we phaseout transshipment

According to Greenpeace research, this frequently results in tuna products with suspicious environmental and social qualifications being available on supermarket shelves in the United States, despite grocery chains’ assurances to the contrary. According to the news release, Greenpeace linked tuna caught by vessels that supply the ubiquitous canned-tuna brand Bumble Bee to forced labor, human trafficking, and IUU fishing practices in 2020, and then traced the tuna to a Kroger-owned Harris Teeter in Arlington, Virginia.

The report calls for increased tracking and tracing and openness in the tuna supply chain. It requests that retailers follow the example of employee-owned supermarket chain Hy-Vee (which ranked fourth overall in the report) and make a complete list of their supplying vessels public. It also wants to ban transshipment.

Source: NGO Greenpeace

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Conservation Activist in Ghana Suing the Government to Protect the forest from Mining

Ndira von Keller — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 13:20:22 +0000

Environmental activist groups in Ghana are suing the government to prevent mining in the forest.

In response to mounting requests for more nature reserves to tackle climate change, environmental activists have filed a lawsuit against the government of Ghana to stop a proposed mining project in a protected national forest that they claim threatens their health and wellbeing.

The proposed mine in Ghana’s Atewa Range Forest is a component of a $2 billion agreement with China under which the latter will receive access to bauxite, which is used to create aluminum, in exchange for funding infrastructure initiatives in Ghana like roads and bridges.

About the Atewa Forest

The Atewa Range Forest Reserve in Ghana’s eastern region is internationally recognized as one of the most important ecosystems in West Africa due to its high species diversity, rare species, and hydrological importance. In 1926, the forest was designated as a National Forest Reserve, then as a Special Biological Protection Area in 1994, a Hill Sanctuary in 1995, and one of Ghana’s 30 Globally Significant Biodiversity Areas (GSBAs) in 1999. It is also designated as a Critical Bird Area.

The forest ranges in elevation from 300 to 800 meters. The highest parts are frequently shrouded in mist and clouds, resulting in a distinct flora and trees dripping with epiphytic mosses and lichens. Shade-bearing herbs cover the ground where the tree canopy remains intact.

Atewa forest contains at least 1100 plant species, 56 of which are threatened with extinction and many of which are endemic to the Upper Guinea ecoregion (humid forests west of Togo/Benin) with highly localised distributions. Butterfly diversity is also high – the highest of any site in West Africa – with over 700 species thought to exist, including two unique to this forest (Mylothis atewa and Anthene helpsi). Amphibians include 40 species, one-third of which are threatened. conraua derooi, a critically cndangered cogo clippery frog, has a stronghold in the Atewa Forest.

What is Bauxite?

Aluminum’s primary raw material is bauxite. Almost all of the aluminum produced in history has been extracted from bauxite. Although the United States has a few small bauxite deposits, at least 99% of the bauxite used in the country is imported. The US is also a significant importer of aluminum metal.

Bauxite is a non-mineral. It is a rock made up primarily of aluminum-bearing minerals. It forms when laterite soils in a wet tropical or subtropical climate are severely leached of silica and other soluble materials.

Why would the government allow this mining from China?

The proposed mining for Aluminum in Ghana’s Atewa Range Forest is a component of a $2 billion agreement with China under which the latter will receive access to bauxite, in exchange for funding infrastructure initiatives in Ghana like roads and bridges.

The Ghanaian government, through the Ministry of Roads and Highways (MRH) and the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA), is attempting to combine the well-known, traditional method of road construction and rehabilitation with the new concept of output and performance-based road contracting (OPRC) for the management and maintenance of selected highways and feeder roads in the country’s Brong-Ahafo, Northern, and Upper East regions.

Local Ghanian advocacy groups complaints

According to their lawyer, seven local advocacy groups and four citizens claim that mining in the forest violates their constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment, as well as their right to protect it for future generations.

The government of Ghana’s spokesman did not respond immediately to requests for comment, and the state-owned Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) declined to comment.

President Nana Akufo-Addo has previously stated that bauxite can be extracted without causing harm to wildlife, and GIADEC has promised that the expanding bauxite industry will create 35,000 jobs.

Is this deforestation of the northern region?

Experts estimate that at least a million species will become extinct in the next few decades, and the United Nations wants governments to support plans to conserve 30% of the earth’s surface by 2030 at its Biodiversity Convention next year in China.

Local groups across Africa are becoming more confident in using the courts to pursue grievances against mining companies, as they balance the need to boost job creation and economic growth with the preservation of their diminishing forest cover.

According to the U.S.-based Global Forest Watch, Ghana experienced a 60% increase in primary forest loss between 2017 and 2018, the highest increase in any tropical country, with trees lost due to illegal mining, logging, and expanding cocoa farms.

A 90 km away capital city, Accra, receives water from three major rivers that originate in the Atewa forest, which is also home to uncommon plants and animals.

Since 2017, protests, an online petition with nearly 30,000 signatures, a billboard outside the presidential palace, and backing from celebrity environmentalist and actor Leonardo DiCaprio on Twitter calling for the mining to be halted.

Bulldozers have already started cutting routes through the woodland, despite the protesters’ calls for it to be transformed into a national park.

Source: Reuters

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A New EPA “Good Neighbor” Rule Seeks to Reduce Power Plant Downwind Emissions.

Ndira von Keller — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 01:56:54 +0000

A New EPA "Good Neighbor" Rule Seeks to Reduce Power Plant Downwind Emissions.

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced a new “good neighbor” rule that limits smokestack emissions from factories and other industrial sources that burden nearby neighborhoods with uncontrollable smog-causing pollutants. To enhance the quality of the air for millions of people living in areas downwind, nearly two dozen states will need to reduce dangerous industrial emissions of nitrogen oxide and other pollutants.

According to the EPA, the final rule, which went into effect on Wednesday, will avert millions of asthma attacks, thousands of deaths, and tens of thousands of hospital admissions. It will also cut down on sick days.

“Every neighborhood deserves to breathe clean air. The EPA Administrator, Michael Regan, stated that “we are aware that air pollution does not stop at state lines.

Power plants must comply with the rule by May, “locking in major emission reductions to ensure cleaner air and providing public health safeguards for individuals who have suffered far too long from air-quality related damage and illness,” according to Regan. In 2026, the restrictions on industrial locations go into force.

In addition to rules on wastewater pollution, mercury and air toxics, and rules anticipated on greenhouse gas emissions, the cross-state pollution rule “makes it impossible for utilities to make decisions based on the merits of what keeps the lights on, forcing those utilities to make decisions solely based on the EPA’s agenda,” Bernstein said.

Watch: Environmental: Proposed Changes to Protect American Families& Drinking Water.

According to the EPA, the rule offers power facilities choice in how to comply, including using scrubbers and established carbon trading systems.

Due to competition from cheap and readily available natural gas, falling prices for renewable energy, and environmental laws, the amount of electricity generated from coal in the United States has significantly decreased over the previous 15 years. According to the Energy Information Administration, many facilities have been shut down, and another 23% of the nation’s operating coal-powered fleet is planned to retire by 2029.

More than 123 million people lived in counties that frequently encountered dangerous ozone levels, according to a 2021 report by the lung association. By bringing on more hot, bright days that are ideal for raising ozone levels, climate change will probably make the issue worse.

Source: EPA.GOV

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In a “World-First” Procedure, Elderly Penguins Receive Custom Lenses.

Ndira von Keller — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 07:25:32 +0000

In a "world-first" procedure, elderly penguins receive custom lenses.

The Mandai Wildlife Reserve announced Tuesday that three elderly penguins from a Singapore zoo underwent successful cataract surgery and received new custom-made lenses, marking the first time the procedure has been performed on the animals.

Six penguins from Jurong Bird Park underwent surgery to “enhance their sight and improve their quality of life,” which included the removal of cloudy lenses caused by cataracts. Only three king penguins received the artificial lens.

The procedure was chosen for king penguins because they are a larger species with eyes that are large and stable enough to hold the custom lenses in place. The lenses were custom-made in Germany to fit each penguin’s eye based on their measurements, and the process took about two months.

The penguins recovered completely two months after the procedures and are now back with their colony in Jurong Bird Park. Dr. Ellen Rasidi, a veterinarian with the Mandai Wildlife Group, said in a statement that all of the penguins are doing well.

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Source: Mandai Wildlife Reserve Instagram

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Congratulations to Gladys Kalema Zikusoka for being recognized with an animal conservation award

Ndira von Keller — Sat, 11 Mar 2023 19:26:54 +0000

Congratulations to Gladys Kalema Zikusoka for being recognized with an animal conservation award

Gladys Kalema Zikusoka, a renowned conservationist, has been nominated as a finalist for the esteemed Indianapolis Zoological Society Inc. animal conservation award. This award honours leaders in the conservation field who make great strides to protect animal species and help restore their habitats. We are delighted to congratulate Gladys on her nomination and wish her the best of luck.

Gorillas are one of the world’s most endangered animals and their population continues to decline. However, there are still people who are fighting for their survival. One of these people is Gladys Kalema Zikusoka, who has been nominated for the world’s most prestigious animal conservation award.

Gladys is a wildlife veterinarian and the Founder and CEO of Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH). She has dedicated her life to saving gorillas and other wildlife in Africa. In 2003, she established CTPH to provide health care and disease prevention services to mountain gorillas and other wildlife.

Gladys’ work has had a significant impact on the survival of mountain gorillas. Thanks to her efforts, the mountain gorilla population in Uganda has increased by 26% since 2006.

If you are interested in learning more about Gladys and her work, then read on!

The finalists for this year’s prize

The Indianapolis Zoological Society Inc. celebrates the preservation of wildlife and natural habitats through the biennial world’s leading animal conservation award. This award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated great effort in protecting wildlife and its natural environment in developing countries around the globe. This year’s award finalists have just been announced and they are an impressive group. The six finalists are Christophe Boesch, PhD (Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology; Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, Germany), Pablo Borboroglu, PhD (Global Penguin Society, Argentina), Gerardo Ceballos, PhD (Institute of Ecology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico), Karen Eckert, PhD (Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network, WIDECAST, USA), Biruté Mary Galdikas, PhD.(Orangutan Foundation International, USA) and Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka , DVM.(Conservation Through Public Health Uganda). These incredible individuals all work to protect the environment and promote conservation—they represent the very best in their field

The Prize

The winner will receive $250,000 and the other amazing finalist will receive $50,000.00 to put towards their conservation project. The finalists for the prize will also benefit from bringing global media attention to their projects, and the bottom line, getting more money and necessary resources to continue and expand their noble work.

The Importance of Animal Conservation

Animal conservation has become an increasingly important topic in recent years. Various species have become vulnerable, endangered, and even extinct as a result of human population growth, loss of habitat, climate change, illegal hunting and more. To protect animal populations and preserve biodiversity, conservation efforts must be made to prevent extinctions and promote ecological health. Programs such as research into population dynamics, legislation of protected areas and laws against poaching can all help to ensure that the animals we share this planet with are here for future generations.

Animal conservation is vital to protect the biodiversity of our planet. It goes beyond just protecting the animals themselves; it is also about maintaining the balance of entire ecosystems and preserving the unique features of different habitats. The work of the finalists of this year’s award is making a real difference in their home countries. In developing countries, conservation efforts can often be difficult and especially important due to economic pressures that could lead to the over-exploitation of resources or rapid destruction of habitats. We applaud each finalist for their dedication and commitment to protecting the environment in their country.

The finalists are doing amazing work to protect endangered species and habitats across the world. We hope that the winner of the prize will be able to use the funds to expand their work and make an even bigger impact on their respective conservation projects. We wish them all the best of luck!

Source: Press Release PR Newswire

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